Fish kill covers part of Jomtien Beach

A larger-than-normal fish kill set off alarm bells in Jomtien Beach, where dead and stinking sea animals polluted a stretch of sand near Soi 17.

Hundreds of tiny pony fish washed up on shore Jan. 5, leaving beach vendors to clean up the mess. No cause for the fish kill was determined, but the event was not unusual for the area, vendors said.

A larger-than-normal fish kill set off alarm bells in Jomtien Beach on Jan. 5, but was probably due to changes in water conditions, such as increases in algae.

Roong Bunjit, 45, said waves of dead fish wash up on shore at the same spot periodically, although this event was larger than most. He alleged fishermen were responsible for the dead fish, which he believed were caught up in nets with larger fish then discarded.

Most fishing nets, however, have holes large enough for tiny fish to escape. Fish kills generally occur due to changes in water conditions, such as increases in algae.